What is a Bio-Bank ?

Fundamental to Pharmacogenomics or pharmaco-metabolomics or biomarker research is access to high quality biospecimens that have been extensively annotated with clinical, molecular and patient data. Researchers now gather molecular data from human biospecimens to gain great insight into the genetic and molecular basis of diseases.

“10 ideas changing the world right now – and number 8 is BIOBANKS”– Time Magazine 2010

Why Bio-Banking ?

If only I can get well-defined samples & data from:
50 patients with unfavorable disease course…
50 patients with no disease/favorable disease course…
I can find the genetic/protein marker that distinguishes between these two groups…
…that will lead to a predictive test and/or new treatment for this disease!